MORNING BRIEFING

She knows winning isn't the only thing

Is Anna Kournikova making a comeback or what? With the U.S. Open going strong -- and being where she reached the fourth round in 1996 at age 15 -- it would appear that Annamania, or whatever you want to call it, is happening again.

Last month, she was profiled in a Where Are They Now? feature in Sports Illustrated. Where Kournikova is now is on the cover of the September issue of Maxim, and inside is a seven-page article with photos of her relaxing on the beach, plus a question-and-answer feature.

Kournikova, 27, touches on a variety of topics, including her marital status (single), what she looks for in a man (sense of humor), whether she still follows women's tennis (yes), and whether she'll ever settle down (she's hopeful).

Kournikova never won a tournament title in singles, but that hasn't hurt her post-tennis career. A model, cover girl, spokeswoman and endorser, Kournikova told the Charlotte Observer she wasn't caught off guard that Maxim was interested in her.

"Actually, I think it's very smart of them, so I wasn't surprised. We get a bunch of different offers and I'm very choosy."

Trivia time

Did Kournikova ever win a Grand Slam title?

Phelps update

No, we can't go a day without Michael Phelps. Simon & Schuster just gave him a $1.6-million advance on a book deal. It's supposed to be out in December, so you know what that means. He'd better dry off and start writing right away.

High flier

Here's how you know you have way too much disposable cash: Stephon Marbury of the New York Knicks bought a private jet for $45 million, according to the New York Post.

Month madness

So Major League Baseball's $65-million ad campaign to publicize the playoffs is called "There's Only One October." That's the best they can do? Like there's two Septembers or something?

If the Final Four folks hear about this, they may have to do something to upgrade March.

Trivia answer

Yes, Kournikova won the 1999 and 2002 Australian Open doubles titles with Martina Hingis.

And finally

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News hasn't found much that's interesting in HBO's "Hard Knocks" series about the Dallas Cowboys: "Maybe . . . these Cowboys weren't the best choice after all. Maybe they are all hat and no cattle."